Election Blue

Disappointed.  Disgusted.  Distraught.  Defeated.  As we watched the polls close and the election results come in my mood turned blue with the map.  To say I woke up this morning in a funk would be an understatement.  It isn't because my team didn't win, it's because my faith in the convictions of my fellow Americans came into question last night.

So this morning as I dressed for work I put on my Christmas socks, wore a smile on my face, and I dove into the kids at school today head first.  They don't have a clue what happened on the TV last night.  All that really matters to them is that their basic needs are met and that laughter makes them feel good.  So we ate, pottied & played.  And we laughed.  A lot.  And we sang & danced, and for a precious few consecutive minutes this morning my focus was on the Now.

My Now is all I can really control.  I can raise my children how my husband and I see fit, and if we're going to build a better America, we're going to start in our home.

I believe in Honesty.
Showing Respect.
Hard Work.
Not Expecting Handouts.
Love.
Giving From Your Heart.
Being Educated.
Being Well-Rounded.
Healing.
Forgiveness.
Loyalty.
Compassion.
Integrity.
Drive.
Ambition.
Two-Parent Families.
Commitment.
Morality.
God.
Karma.
Determination.

I believe in fostering all of these things in our children and making our world a better place.

And I will take a deep breath, do a lot of praying, and live in the now.  Starting right.... Now!

Letting Go

They love you unconditionally.
They keep your secrets.
They clean the food off your floors.
They smile with their hearts.
They forgive you your faults.
They are loyal.
They are faithful.
They warn you of danger.
They protect you at no cost.

They ask for little in return.... food, water & love.  Everything else is just icing on the cake.

Seven months after we got married, we started our family & opened our hearts to a dog.  She's logged hundreds of thousands of miles in our backseat.  Lived with us in five different states.  Chased more animals than we could ever count.  And we've chased after her more times than we care to count.  She was the only one to greet us when we brought both of our babies home from the hospital.  The only dog we've shared as a family.

They teach you about love.
They teach you about letting go.

Today we had to put our beloved dog, our loyal friend to sleep.  It was the hardest decision we've ever had to make.  After all she's done for us, this we did for her.  Huddled together on the floor, we held her as she finally found peace and took in her last breath.  We shed many tears, more than we can count.

What they say must be true, all dogs really do go to Heaven.  I know this because she's already sent us signs.  We see them Lizzie.  And we see life in a unique way because of you.  If you know Lizzie, you know the tales.

So enjoy chasing squirrels, rabbits & cats.  Enjoy your naps in the sun.  And know that we'll go on enjoying our lives, too.  Until we meet up with you in Heaven, it's like we tell the girls.... you're always in our hearts.

RIP Lizzie Girl.

Growing Up Abby

On Monday night, the girls and I ventured to school for Open House, where the girls were on a mission to finally meet their new teachers.  Abby was basking in the glory of being the big sister, when finally, for their first time in their educational career, they would be at the same school.

It was great to have Abby has our personal guide.  In and out of halls, she led us to our destinations effortlessly.  It was a stress-free meeting of both the girls' teachers, and both Abby & Lauren left their new meetings even more excited to begin the new school year.

But there was one more stop to make before we left for the evening.... greeting Abby's first grade teacher for the first time as a second grader.  Mrs. Barr was just as happy to see Abby as Abby was to see her.  She treated Lauren to a welcoming smile, then we exchanged that look that parents & teachers give one another when they are saddened not to have your child their room, and likewise.  Last but not least, Mrs. Barr noticed how much Abby had grown up.  The earrings, bracelets, necklace & headband.  She was accessorizing to the max.  Second grade style.

Mrs. Barr was right.  Abby is increasingly self-aware of how she looks.  What she will wear for her second grade pictures is always on her mind, not to mention her adamantity (is that even a word?!) for having a gray, not blue background for her school pic.  Then there is the conversation of having her own bedroom.  And the one about not using her pink booster seat in the car.  Sometimes I can't keep up.

Today, on her first day of second grade, she went to school with a smile and an argument with her sister already under her belt.  And that is just how she came home.... with a smile, and another argument that sent her to her room.  And like magic, the storm of anger & tears was amplified to what I can only describe as a second grade scene.  It isn't easy, but I know this is normal, even healthy.  But it's hard.  For all of us.

And then there was tonight.  Traditional story time means each of us choosing two stories, and once we're all in our jammies and ready for bed, we gather on my bed with our collection of literature as I take turns reading our selections.  But in the presence of a second grader our night time routine is changing.  Abby now intentionally chooses books she can read.  And not just read, but read with ease and inflection.  My heart swells with pride.

I know it isn't easy growing up for our Abby.  It isn't easy being around growing up Abby.  But it is a beautiful view watching Abby grow up.  I love that I can still see the face of that newborn in in her.  I love just as much that she loves the little lady she is growing into.

I still love her more.

Ten on Tuesdayish

1. First day back to work is in the books.  Sort of.  Yesterday was our meeting of the minds to gear up for the upcoming school year, then our open house last night.  It was refreshing to meet new faces and a delight to see students & parents from years past.  I'm reminded again how grateful I am to work with such an incredible staff and looking forward to this upcoming year.  What a blessing to love my job sooooo much!

2. Sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom to ground you.  In our case, shape up these little rugrats of ours.  Too much TV, too much leniency equals too much of two monsters.  Today we're turning over a new leaf.  I pray they get the message.

3. I miss Bunco.  Once a month, great food, great friends, maybe some drinks & interesting conversation always prove to be an event worth looking forward to.  Too bad it's so hard to find enough people to get on board & commit. :(

4. I'm so pleased with the amount of back-logged organizing I've been able to get done.  I've still got a considerable amount to tackle, but I'm on a roll.  Look out house!

5. While it's nice to have the down time around our house to get stuff done, I am beyond happy that we go home for the summer.  Not only do the girls have a chance to listen to people speak proper English for two plus months, but it gives us something to do.  We'd be bored out of our minds here no doubt.

6. Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike when people put a 'Ms.' in front of my first name?  Two months of being called Brooke or Mrs. Zahn.... Ahhhhh.  It makes me hate it more everytime I come back to it.  Grrrrrrrr.

7. I'm not entirely hating on Ohio, but for sure there are things that get under my skin and the fouled up linguistics is top on the list.  I am, however, looking forward to my very favorite thing about Ohio: Autumn.  Bright, bold colors canvassing the landscape; crisp morning air.  Heaven.  Well, next to being Up North it's heaven.

8. While everyone at home is posting about all of their great eats at Minnesota's largest county fair, I'm stuck with savoring them by memory.  I've been reminding myself that my daily workouts will benefit more from mental endulgance.  So eat up friends.  And thanks for thinking of me as you eat your way through the event of the summer.  Okay, let's be honest, I'd still rather be there eating with them!

9. Oh my brother-in-law.... Bacon jam.  What they don't think of.  And if I knew how to can, I'd probably have to try it by virtue of curiosity.  How I wish I lived closer to my brother-from-another-mother.  Truly one of my favorite people.  I miss ya, Kevin.

10. A week from today the girls head back to school.  Eeeeeek!  One week and we're back into the bump and grind.  I'm not sure if I'm ready for this.  I've rather enjoyed sleeping in in the mornings. Sigh.

The Adventures of One Earring

Before the girls and I left Ohio for the summer Lauren made a decision: she was ready to get her ears pierced.  I was suspect to this conclusion, mostly because I had overheard bits & pieces of a conversation she had with Abby focusing on the glory of wearing earrings.  But there was something else, watching Abby get pierced in December prompted Lauren to declare she had no intention of getting her ears pierced until she was older, at least 10 or 21.

Practicality outweighed intuition, and I scheduled Lauren to have her ears pierced when we arrived in Minnesota for our haircuts.  And on June 11, 2012 after two attempts in the chair, Lauren left our favorite little salon with only her right ear pierced.

From there our summer took off with one adventure after another.  That single earring accompanied Lauren as she mastered riding her bike on the gravel road, enjoyed countless trips to ice cream shops all over the country, flew to and from Washington, made several trips to the pool & water parks, joined her family for our annual Cousin Time sleepover, and traveled up north to the cabin where she swam, jumped off the dock, fished, made a new friend and then attended his memorial service four days later.  This summer that one earring went with Lauren to seven different states, spent countless hours in the sun and served proudly as a bracket to one side of a beautiful smile enjoying the glory of summer.

But in spite of the bond Lauren shared with her right earring, she could not bring herself to muster up the bravery to get her left ear pierced.  I know the torture I felt when she went into her crying fit of refusal at the moment she faced piercing earring left.  I can only imagine the nerves that raced through her belly every time it was mentioned ALL SUMMER LONG.

In part because I could not allow her to be tortured any longer, and in part because I was not going to have "that kid" that walks around with only one earring for life, I served her up an ultimatum and made it entirely her decision: Either get your ear pierced before we leave Minnesota, or take it out, let it grow shut and pierce them again on your dime when you're ready.  Minutes before we left for the salon on the morning on July 31st to get our final hair cuts before departing the motherland, she confided that she wanted me to take her earring out.  It's funny how even when you know it's coming, hearing the words you don't want to hear can make your heart drop.

We kept that earring in at the slight chance she would change her mind.  We even kept it in on our drive back to Ohio, just to add that last little bit of adventure to its short-lived life.  But last night I stood true to my word and took that earring out, where it was secretly deposited in Mommy's jewelry box for posterity.

In the end I think we all learned a few things from the adventures of that one earring.  As to who learned more, Lauren or I, that remains to be seen.  When will Lauren finally take the leap and get her ears pierced?  I think that one will be a sore spot for quite some time.  The One Earring Wonder.

Anger Management

Abby.  What more can I say?  If you've spent time with the child lately, one thing is clear: managing her anger and controlling her behavior is not her strong suit.

I've tried everything.... Let her cry it out, let her work it out herself, talk her through it, impose consequences for escalated behavior, take away privileges.  Long story short, I'm at the end of my rope.  Short of hiring a life coach, I came up with one final solution, The Secret Code.  When she gets angry, and you can bank on it happening sooner than later, she's supposed to give me a wink.  "But what if you're not with me?"  Easy!  Find something pretty, pretend it's me and shoot it a wink; I will know.  And with that suggestion it was like the heavens opened up and swallowed the intense frustration that had devoured her body.

Will it work every time?  Your guess is as good as mine.  But I'll be researching life coaches just in case.
  

Ten on Tuesday

1. Tonight for supper: Eggplant Parmesan.  I didn't even get to sit down and eat it with the fam.  But it smells awesome.

2. After months of suffering from stomach aches triggered by certain foods & other digestive dilemmas that shall remain nameless, I've decided that maybe what my system needs is to reboot.  I'm starting a four week probiotic regimen.  So far I think it's working; I started last night.

3. We have great neighbors.  Yes, in Fairborn.  I love them.  Just sayin'.

4. The girls weren't even awake for two minutes this morning before they found something insignificant to fight about.  Please tell me it's just a phase.

5. I'm so used to nasty dog farts that even when I'm not home I still think I smell them at times Lizzie would ordinarily be stinking up the house.  This has gotten worse with age.  Hers, not mine.  And I don't care what they tell you, once a poop-eater, always a poop-eater.  The Nasty Habit pills flavored with cayenne pepper that are supposed to make them unappetizing only get her more fired up for her meal.

6. If I had to pick a favorite dessert it would definitely be my mom's ice box cake.  Mom, you're not planning a visit anytime soon, are you?!

7. Who doesn't like Tom Selleck?  I've never heard anyone say they weren't a fan.  He's a true class act, stand up, all-American guy.

8. I'm completely engrossed in Killing Lincoln.  Who knew the Civil War could be so engaging.

9. I love the people I work with.  I love the girls at the age they're at.  Of all the details I would tweak about my life if I could, the truth is I couldn't be happier.  What a gift!

10. I was given a rude awakening tonight the things recent college grads have been facing.... mounting debt, the inability to get enough loans to pay for school, no access to credit cards even when you have a degree and are using it to earn a living.  It's going to be a tough road for these babes of mine.  *sigh*

Tight Ride

I wasn't going to post about this.  I wasn't really even going to talk about it in general.  Not because it's a big secret, but because it's my milestone and I didn't think it was that big of a deal.  But I guess it is.

As my beloved cousin, Shawn, pointed out.... Today is an end of an era: Oprah's last show, and new wheels for Brooke!  A lot of people have come into my life and into my Grand Am.  And boy have I grown up with that car.  It was the first car I bought entirely on my own.  The car that has been with me to every duty station the Air Force has taken us.  The car both of our babies came home from the hospital in.  The car we road-tripped across America in.  I loved that car.

But the time has come to say good-bye to the baby I affectionately dubbed, Granny, in her geriatric years.  It was getting too tight for all of us, and unless I can find a way to keep these girls from growing, we were in need of the space.

Tonight I said good-bye to one tight ride and hello to another....

{Good-Bye Kiss}

{The View from the New}

If you had the pleasure of adventuring with me in the Grand Am, thank you for the memories.... I look forward to making new ones in my much roomier Acadia! 

{Tight New Ride}

P.S. It probably comes as no surprise that I've had the car less than three hours & the radio stations are programmed.... and ready for Minnesota!

Thank You Thursday

1. I'm thankful I have two very distinctly unique girls....

{Lauren & Her Scooby Ensemble}

{Abby Rides in Her New Dress}

2. Thank you, Geoff, for leaving work and taking the girls to gymnastics.  I am physically exhausted.  What's more, I really just need a break.

3. I'm thankful my children are normal, but I will be even more thankful when they are out of whatever stage they are in that is making me climb the walls.  It's mostly Abby and her constant need to be under her sister's skin, and mine too for that matter.

4. I'm thankful for the moments like this one, when she first gets home from school. When her attitude has yet to evolve from sweet to sour....

Abby: "Mom, would you like a jelly bean?"

Brooke: "No thanks, I'm not a big jelly bean eater."

Abby: "I'm a little jelly bean eater."

I truly do love that kid.

5. I'm thankful for the bus stop mom I am developing a friendship with.  I can't promise I'll be thankful after we attend a Zumba class Saturday morning, but I am thankful she passed on this place: http://www.oinkadoodlemoo.com/page6.html. OinkADoodleMoo.... the name alone just makes my mouth water for a pork sandwich!

Ten on Tuesday

1. Wow, talk about a heart-stopper. I just saw the head stone of a little girl who was born a few weeks after Abby, and died just a few months later.  I think about all of that life Abby has had in that time that this little lady never got a chance to enjoy. Talk about perspective.

2. Abby is quite focused on Utah these days.  I have no idea why. Her teacher has no idea why.  Other girls at school like unicorns and have fairy friends; Abby is bummed about Utah not getting one of the Space Shuttles.  Just for the record, she's upset Ohio and Minnesota were also passed up.

3. Big step.  I bought Abby's summer slumber attire here in Ohio.  I was forced to, really.  No spring break trip home means I had to suck it up and pay the tax on clothes.  The next thing you know I'll be sporting an Ohio driver's license.  God help me.

4. I have never been closer to nominating myself for Worst Mother of the Year Award, 2011.  Lauren's arms got sunburned playing outside on Sunday {Hello! It's April. Why would I have put sunscreen on her?!}  Abby's been collecting unthinkable punishments for unthinkable behavior {It has to be her fault for pushing me to it, right?!}  Abby broke out into a rash in my attempt at a home remedy.  Nothing like an e-mail from her teacher commenting on her scratching up a storm {How was I to know Origins was toxic to Abby?!}  Oh, and then there was Lauren's morning tantrum.  She was fit to be tied that I would not be at school all day today because I had training {For Pete's sake, can a mom have a job?!}

5. I opted to take the girls to Dairy Queen {I'm trying to score some points here!} instead of taking them to Cold Stone for an afternoon treat.  I went out of my way a bit to do so, and I'm wondering if I'm the only one.  Confession Alert: I'm really not trying to score points, I just wanted an ice cream cone!

6. I saw a sign at Dairy Queen today: "Stressed Spelled Backwards is Desserts."  Need I say more?

7. As if I really need yet another blog to follow: http://www.allthingsthrifty.com/.  Thanks, Reanna, for passing it my way.

8. UMD won their first national men's hockey title. Woohoo! I can't believe I waited until no. eight to throw that one in.

9. Someone has their eye on my Granny.  Not that little fun-loving woman who bakes cookies; my car.  That means I'm in the market for wheels.  Woohoo!  That's two woohoos in one post.... I think I've reached my limit.

10. Why do I like my husband's strangest friends?  It's always the ones that drive most people crazy that I can't get enough of.  It is kind of like an interactive play where you can actually talk to the performers.  These guys are so odd in so many ways, but they don't care.  I love 'em.

BoNuS!
I had to add this one.  Lauren's illustration this afternoon at school.  I told her I loved her flower.  She told me it was her friends on the swing.

Thank You Thursday

1. I'm thankful for a UMD win tonight.  Sure, I was at the gym with the girls and didn't see even a second of the game.  But they won and advanced to the Frozen Four championship game Saturday night in St. Paul.  Oh how I wish I was there.  I won't be, unless by the grace of God someone gifts me with airfare and tickets to the game.  But that's a long shot.  What I do have is one Tiny super-fan who is ready to cheer at her next chance to see the Bulldogs take the ice....

[Be sure to pause the playlist on the right sidebar to hear the audio.]

2. I'm thankful for my little friends at school, and the time to sit with them and just play.  They have great personalities with so much life.  They are definitely an underappreciated culture.

3. I'm thankful for the willpower to follow through with my parental threat.  I hit a mommy-low tonight, but I'm hoping to make a point to my destructive young lady.  It is not a night I am proud of.

4. I'm thankful for college friends, and for having some to hang out with to watch UMD play Saturday night.

5. I'm thankful for having a book I cannot put down.  Okay, so I can put it down to check on the score of the game, but what I'd really like to do is curl up with nothing but a blanket and this book.  And thank you to Jaime for choosing it!

Bath Night Sex Ed

You've gotta love bath night.  After climbing out of the tub Abby sits down, completely naked, and states, "Mom, I have to ask you something.  What is this?"

"That is your clitoris."

"What is it for?"

"It is part of your sexual organ."

"This is where I pee."

"Yes, and see this hole right there, that is where your baby will come out of someday."

Giggles.  Hands on hips.  Still naked.  Now standing. "And I will push and push and push."

The conversation went on about how the baby will grow in her belly and her belly will stretch like she sees on pregnant women.  And then, in attempt to divert from how the baby will get in there in the first place I stated that her boobies will also grow and someday they will produce the milk the baby needs to eat.

"Did you feed me like that?"

"Yes."

"White milk?"

"Yes."

"Why not chocolate?"

All the while a set of eyes and a pair of ears were observing from the peanut gallery known as the bathtub behind us.  Silent until now she piped in, "I have one of those holes, too!"

Thank You Thursday

1. Thank you for the little things.  Last night Lauren was playing waitress.  When I told her to spell 'spicy' how it sounded to her, she gave up and decided to write the names of a few first ladies on her government place mat, her words.  {smile}

• Rosalynn Carter
• Betty Ford
• Helen Taft
• Spicy

2. I've been checking my e-mail all day praying there is nothing in my inbox from Abby's teacher, or worse her principal.  Her behavior was so deplorable this morning she refused to get on the bus, called her mother a dumb ass, and needed to be escorted to her classroom by a very angry mom. I'm thankful I haven't been contacted to attend to her bad behavior. {Schools not over yet.... fingers crossed!}

3. I'm thankful for the guys in the check-out at the commissary this morning. Our cashier was a wise-cracking Vietnam vet with missing fingers, and our bagger was a clown who relentlessly picked on Lauren convincing her part of his arm was plastic.  After the morning I had, these two much appreciated!

4. Thank God for spontaneous Lauren moments.  We got home from the commissary and I began unloading the car, only to return to the garage to find this....

"You just need a little Lauren help," she told me.

And with that she helped her mom carry in groceries.

5. I'm thankful I am making some use out of my days off. I haven't accomplished nearly as much as I would have liked by this point in the week, but I'm accomplishing nonetheless.

Colored People

Thanks to my thoughtful cousin, Shawn, for sending me season 1 of Glee.  I am now grossly involved in this hysterically entertaining show.

The girls have been in and out of the family room where I've been vegged.  Both ladies wandered in to hear one of the characters ask another if she was having a black baby.  My never-misses-a-beat kindergartner then asks me, "Mom, how do you get a black baby?"  Okay.  How am I going to explain this one?  She already asked me how you get pregnant earlier today (thank you, Glee episode number one) now we're delving into skin pigmentation!

Very matter-of-fact, I told her that black babies come from black people, white babies come from white people.  After letting that sit in she then shot back, "I'm wondering, I've seen a white mom that has a black baby...."

"Well," taking it to yet another level, "the baby might be adopted, or maybe the dad is black." 

Whew.  Dodged a bullet.  Conversation was over.  Until she asked, "So if you're pink you'll have a pink baby?"

Exactly.

Thank You Thursday

1. I'm thankful for the gymnastics coach who held Abby accountable for her actions and her attitude.  She'll be the one to get through to Abby.  I also hope she's the one to guide her toward her natural talents before attitude gets in her way.

2. I'm thankful for my job. When I sit back and think about it, I cannot underestimate the gratitude I have for working with such an esteemed group of people.  If everyone loved their place of work this much it would be a much different world.

3. I'm thankful for the time I can carve out in the day to read.  What a stress-reliever it can be.

4. I'm thankful for the free sub I got tonight at Subway, and for not having to make lunch for myself tomorrow because of it!

5. I'm thankful for Lauren's cry.  Every so often she'll burst into tears, and there is something about that cry that I connect to in a way no one else can.  What a lucky person I am.

The F Word

Summing up yesterday in F words:

We had a FrIeNd over yesterday, a good friend of Lauren's from school, who lives so close to us we can hardly believe it took us so long to figure it out!  All three of the girls spent a chunk of yesterday afternoon playing their hearts out.  Happy F word.

When our friend was here we threw together a delicious ice cream FiEsTa.  Yummy F Word!

Abby couldn't be happier to have her FaNcY new bag.  So happy that after our friend went home she headed outside to play, with it in tow, pretending to be on her way to school.  Pretty pink F word.

And then Abby asked me the question.  The question she already knew the answer to.... "What is the F WoRd?"  She continued, "Is it a bad word?  Do you know the A word?  Why are letter words bad words?"

I responded to all of her questions, trying to satisfy her craving for this new material she's been given so she could clear her head of it.  And then I asked her a question I already knew the answer to, "Where did you learn about these words?"

She hesitated to tell me, but gave it up, "The bus."  FrOwN.

Dirty Picture

I sat down on the couch in the living room to discover a dirty picture sketched on the back side of Lauren's easel.

The structure on the left is a rocket.  I'll let you interpret the rest....

Ten On Tuesday--Special Edition

The I'm-Pretty-Sure-I'm-Not-the-Only-Mom Edition....

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only mom who:

1. Picks up one of her children's tissues that looks unused then uses it herself before throwing it away.

2. Launders her children's bedding much less frequently than her own because doing so just invite a night of vomit.

3. Takes a shower on the weekends just when the children are about to ask for lunch.  "Daddy!"

4. Forgets she took a privilege away from her child until well after the child has bitten into the forbidden fruit.  Or watched the entire Scooby video.  Whatever.

5. Looks at her jagged fingernails for several days before actually filing them.

6. Counts a trip to the grocery store as "alone time" and then comes home refreshed, especially when Daddy's already taken care of the kids' night time routine.

7. Puts on a movie for her child so she can get chores done in peace.

8. Doles out snacks to the children, then quietly digs into the cookie jar--which reminds me, they could make Girl Scout Cookies easier to bust into in secret!

9. Is grateful the slumber party was at someone else's house.

10. Loves her kids more than anything in the world and wonders if she's taught them half as much as they've taught her.

Presidents Day: Setting Precedence

True to my word, I have been actively cleaning my life of the clutter it has collected.  Our basement is the first to reap the benefits of my New Year's Resolution.  Yesterday, along with the help of my lovelies, I finished going through their toys.  I'm a hoarder, and getting rid of my girls' life in play was a hard step for me to take.  I guess I finally had enough of it all, and it is now sorted into things we will keep, things we will give to younger friends, and things we will donate.

I'm trying to set a precedence for my little people.  Trying to teach them to give, to share, and to do it with an open heart and no regrets.  This is why Geoff took them to Dayton Children's Hospital today where they donated a healthy collection of stuffed animals.  The man receiving their good will thanked them for their generosity, and assured them that many children will be grateful to enjoy a special new friend.

After trekking into Dayton, Daddy treated his girls to lunch at McDonald's where Abby was asked by an older woman if she knew what holiday it is today, and why she didn't have school.  To which Abby replied that it is Presidents Day and we are celebrating Abraham Lincoln's birthday.  Yay, Abby!

Back at home the girls are enjoying perhaps the most glorious part of our material cleansing.... The toys that made the cut are getting a new life of their own.

And Abby will always be Abby, just the way I like her.

Basket Case

I have everyone fooled.  Those who know me seem to think I am on top of everything and exceptionally organized.  The truth is that I like to be.  I try to be.  But sometimes I fall victim to my heritage.

The longer I'm living away from home the more I learn about myself and those with whom I share the commonalities of my birthplace.  I used to think it was just me.

Case in Point: At a recent gathering of friends (mostly Air Force wives from all over the country), one of the woman was joking about how her husband, from Wisconsin, will collect an overwhelming stack of newspapers claiming he will get to it.  Hah!  That's me!!!  The more I thought about it, the more I realized how many of my family members and fellow countrymen do the exact same thing.  Frankly, I find it annoying, but I honestly cannot help it.

In truth, most of the stacks can go without making any real impact if they are never sifted through, but there is one stack that absolutely cannot.... those pesky school papers.  It was time to make sense of the madness.

So I did what comes natural to the teacher in me and I got each of my lovelies a basket and prettied it up with a personalized clip.  Voilà!  The girls know that when they get home from school all of their papers go right in the basket.  I'm not saying it doesn't pile up from time to time, but at least it's organized.

Wire Baskets: Office Depot

Apples: Michael's

The apples came already painted.  I arranged stickers to spell out their names, then Mod Podged over it so the stickers would not come off.  Then I used the Mod Podge to adhere a clothes pin to the back of each apple, then clip it to the basket.